esp32 News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

December 5, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

LILYGO Mini E-Paper Core IoT controller gets ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller

LILYGO Mini E-Paper Core has gotten an upgrade to the ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller. The IoT controller was first introduced in 2021 with an ESP32-PICO-D4 system-in-package, a 1.02-inch E-Paper display, and a few GPIOs on the back, and the company kept the same design for the ESP32-S3 model called “Mini E-Paper Core S3”. The tiny ESP32-S3 IoT controller can still be used for integrated into your own project, and the company also provides several shields with nRF24L01 2.4GHz wireless or 433/868 MHz “LoRa” connectivity to transform the device into a longer range IoT device. Mini E-Paper Core S3 specifications Wireless SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN4R2 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 512KB RAM, 2MB PSRAM Storage – 4MB flash Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth Storage – MicroSD card socket Display – 1.02-inch e-paper display with 128×80 […]

November 30, 2023November 30, 2023 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 12 Comments

Review of SONOFF BASICR4 Smart Switch and S-MATE2 Smart Remote Control

Sonoff SMATE-2 + BASICR4 automation demo

We’ve received two new devices from SONOFF for testing, namely the BASICR4 Smart Switch and the S-MATE2 Smart Remote Control. For those familiar with SONOFF devices, the Basic series is well-known as it was one of the initial products SONOFF introduced to the Smart Home market. It’s a Wi-Fi switch that can be used for various purposes, including controlling lights, fans, and other electrical devices. The BASICR4 model enhances capabilities while reducing costs compared to its predecessor. The S-MATE2, on the other hand, is the second version of a simple Remote Controller powered by batteries. It wirelessly connects to other SONOFF devices that support the eWeLink Remote Gateway feature, enabling full control within the same ecosystem. This expands its usability across different devices. Let’s delve into the details. SONOFF BASICR4 Introduction The Basic series has been a long-standing Wi-Fi Switch family allowing control of electrical devices through the eWeLink app […]

November 29, 2023November 29, 2023 by Kumpee Teeravech - 5 Comments

AirGradient ONE Kit Review – An open-source indoor air quality monitor

The product we are reviewing today is the “AirGradient ONE” air quality monitor kit which is an updated version of the earlier AirGradient air quality monitor. The device is equipped with sensors from Sensirion and Plantower, allowing it to measure many air quality parameters such as CO2, PM2.5, TVOCs, NOx, temperature, and humidity. It is an indoor air quality monitor that is both open-source software and open hardware. This means that the Arduino source code, schematic diagrams, PCB, and 3D models of the enclosure are available to developers. AirGradient ONE DIY Kit Unboxing The device was packaged within a cardboard box, with a greeting card from the manufacturer. The card features a QR code linking to a webpage with the installation guide. Since I requested the Kit version (there’s also a fully assembled model), some sensors were not pre-assembled and they were well-packaged in separate seals. The main PCB was […]

November 29, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Adafruit Metro ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth IoT board comes in Arduino UNO form factor

Adafruit Metro ESP32-S3 is an IoT development board with ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth wireless SoC, 8 MB PSRAM, and 16 MB Flash that follows Arduino UNO – or Adafruit Metro – form factor. The board also comes with two STEMMA QT I2C connectors for further expansion, comes with a microSD card socket for storage, a JTAG header for advanced debugging, and supports various power options with 6-12V DC via a DC jack, 5V DC via a USB-C port, and a 2-pin connector for a LiPo battery plus the board integrates charging and battery monitoring chip. Adafruit Metro ESP32-S3 specifications: Wireless module ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core LX7 microprocessor @ up to 240 MHz with Vector extension for machine learning Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB SPI flash Connectivity – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5 with LE/Mesh PCB antenna Certifications – FCC/CE certification Storage – MicroSD card slot USB – 1x […]

November 28, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

T-Display-S3-Long board features ESP32-S3 WiSoC, a wide touchscreen display

LILYGO has designed plenty of ESP32 boards with an integrated display, but the new T-Display-S3-Long may be suitable for different applications since the ESP32-S3 board comes with a wide 3.4-inch touchscreen display with 640×180 resolution. The WiFi and Bluetooth wireless display board is powered by an ESP32-S3R8 WiSoC with 8MB PSRAM, and comes with a 16MB SPI flash, two Qwiic connectors and a 30-pin header for expansion, a USB Type-C port for power, charging, and programming, and a 2-pin connector for an optional LiPo battery. T-Display-S3-Long specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration, 512KB RAM, 8MB PSRAM, wireless connectivity Storage – 16MB flash (W25Q128) Connectivity via ESP32-S3 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 4 with 40 MHz bandwidth support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 connectivity with long-range support, up to 2Mbps data rate. Bluetooth Mesh 3D antenna […]

November 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Theengs Bridge BLE to MQTT gateway supports Home Assistant, OpenHAB, Jeedom, NodeRed, and more

The Theengs Bridge is a new WiFi & Ethernet BLE to MQTT gateway running the open-source OpenMQTTGateway firmware, compatible with a range of sensors, and supporting Home Assistant, OpenHAB, Jeedom, NodeRed, and other MQTT-compatible systems. It follows the Theengs Plug smart socket introduced at the beginning of the board with many of the same features (minus the socket part…) but adds Ethernet and an external antenna for improved range, and improves modularity with a Grove I2C connector and mounting holes for a LoRa-E5-based Grove module and a prototyping area where you can solder your own circuitry with DIP components. Theengs Bridge specifications: Wireless module MCU – ESP32 microcontroller with WiFi and Bluetooth Storage – 8MB flash PCB antenna and u.FL antenna connector Connectivity 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE with 6dBi 50Ohm external antenna Optional LoRa module via Grove I2C connector MQTT protocol Expansion – […]

November 20, 2023November 20, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

WeAct ESP32H2-N4 – A $6 Bluetooth 5.2 LE, Zigbee 3.0, and Thread development board

WeAct ESP32H2-N4 is a low-cost ESP32-H2 development board with Bluetooth 5.2 LE, Zigbee 3.0, and Thread connectivity with a design very similar to the one of Espressif Systems’ ESP32-H2-DevKitM-1 development board, but sold for just $5.70 plus shipping. The ESP32-H2 wireless microcontroller is basically the little brother of the ESP32-C6 without WiFi and aims at low-power nodes in short-range IoT networks. We have previously seen it in Espressif hardware like the aforementioned ESP32-H2-DevKitM-1 and the ESP Thread Border Router board combining ESP32-H2 & ESP32-S3 wireless chips, but so far not in third-party boards, and WeAct ESP32H2-N4 changes that. WeAct ESP32H2-N4 specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-H2-MINI-1 MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-H2 32-bit RISC-V microcontroller at up to 96 MHz with 320 KB SRAM, 128 KB ROM, 4 KB LP memory, Bluetooth 5.2 LE/Mesh and 802.15.4 (Zigbee/Thread/Matter) radios. Storage – 4MB flash storage PCB antenna Dimensions – 13.2×16.6×2.4 mm USB – 2x […]

November 16, 2023November 16, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

LILYGO T-Display S3 Pro – A 2.33-inch ESP32-S3 color touchscreen display with enclosure

LILYGO T-Display S3 Pro is another ESP32-S3 powered WiFi and Bluetooth display from the company with a 2.33-inch color touchscreen LCD, a plastic enclosure, support for USB-OTG, two QWIIC connectors, and a 470 mAh battery. We’re told the T-Display S3 Pro is an update to the T-Display S3 (and by extension of the T-Display S3 Touch and T-Display S3 AMOLED models) but the display is quite bigger at 2.33-inch and with higher resolution (480×222), it comes with an ABS case with an integrated battery by default, adds support for USB OTG, and also includes a few sensors that are missing from the earlier models. T-Display S3 Pro specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration, 512KB RAM, 8MB PSRAM, wireless connectivity Storage – 16MB flash, microSD card slot Connectivity via ESP32-S3 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 4 […]